With warmpaintings of animal mothers tending to their cubs, pups, calves, and chicks, this bilingual book introduces the reader to animals and their behavior. Written by DiaL. Michels, the simple text and supplemental back matter will help parents, librarians, educators, and healthcare providers creatively describe how babies are cared for. The book introduces a range of early science concepts including habitats, family systems, and survival instincts.The book has already won a Purple Dragonfly Award and a Top Choice Award from Baby Maternity Magazine.

The images, depicting animal mothers as they lend a paw, wing, or flipper to care for their young,model attachment, breastfeeding, and caretaking. Dr. Sarah Reece-Stremtan, a pediatrician based in Washington, D.C., writes, "My two boys love this charming book. I really appreciate how it normalizes the nurturing relationship between parents and their children. It makes cuddling during story time that much sweeter."

The bilingual text can help readers develop language skills in English and Spanish. According to the Migration Policy Institute, “Dual Language Learners now make up nearly one-third of all children in the United States…. These children stand to benefit disproportionately from high-quality early learning opportunities.” Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado aims to provide these learning opportunities for bilingual children.

“The option of reading in Spanish or English opens this book to a large number of families,” adds Ryan Pontier, Ph.D., Early Childhood Bilingual Education Council Chair for the League of United Latin American Citizens.

The accompanying Teacher’s Guide is an excellent resource, available for free download in English and Spanish at PlatypusMedia.com. It includes additional content and hands-on activities to develop cognitive skills and improve literacy.

“This book shows that animal families are not so different from human ones,” explains Michels, who is also the author of If My Mom Were A Platypus: Mammal Babies and Their Mothers. “I want children to think about how each species matures, survives, and what their communities look like—whether pride, flock, or family. Showing children this type of attachment in the natural world fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion.”

Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado will be released simultaneously in hardback, paperback, and eBook. It will also be released in an English-only edition in October 2018.

The book will be available in a two-book set with another new release, Babies Nurse / Así se alimentan los bebés. Together, these books about care and bonding create a foundation for healthy growth, introduce science topics, and encourage bilingualism. Both titles are part of Platypus Media’s new Beginnings collection.

Dia L. Michels is an internationally published, award-winningscience and parenting writerwho is committed to promoting attachment parenting. She has authored or edited over a dozen books for both children and adults. She can be reached at Dia@PlatypusMedia.com.

Mike Speiser’s beautiful images of mother and baby animals have appeared on the cover of National Geographic’s Wild Animal Baby magazine. His work can be seen at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, WI. He can be reached at Mike@PlatypusMedia.com.

Platypus Media is an independent press that creates products with a broad appeal to diverse families who believe in the importance of close family relationships for the full and healthy development of children. The publisher is committed to the promotion and protection of breastfeeding, and donates a percentage of profits to groups that work in this field.

Platypus Media products are available for direct purchase.They are distributed to the trade by National Book Network. Library bound editions are available from Children’s Plus. Review copies available upon request. Sample pages, cover scans, and Teacher’s Guide at PlatypusMedia.com.